We The Veterans Foundation

THE MISSION OF WE THE VETERANS AND MILITARY FAMILIES IS TO EMPOWER THE VETERAN AND MILITARY FAMILY COMMUNITY TO STRENGTHEN AMERICA.

VET THE VOTE IS A NATIONAL CAMPAIGN TO RECRUIT VETERANS AND MILITARY FAMILY MEMBERS TO BECOME THE NEXT GENERATION OF POLL WORKERS. WE BELIEVE DOING SO NOT ONLY FILLS CRITICAL NEEDS FOR OUR ELECTIONS TO RUN SMOOTHLY (E.G., POLL WORKERS) BUT ALSO INCREASES OVERALL CONFIDENCE IN OUR ELECTIONS DUE TO THE TRUST EARNED BY THE VETERAN AND MILITARY FAMILY COMMUNITY THROUGH THEIR SERVICE TO THE NATION. THIS THEORY HAS NOW BEEN VALIDATED BY A STUDY RECENTLY PUBLISHED BY THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND TITLED, "RECRUITING VETERANS AND MILITARY FAMILY MEMBERS IMPROVES CONFIDENCE IN ELECTIONS." OUR FIRST CAMPAIGN AROUND THE 2022 ELECTIONS WAS A RESOUNDING SUCCESS, RECRUITING OVER 63,500 NEW VOLUNTEERS TO SERVE AS POLL WORKERS (REPRESENTING ABOUT HALF OF THE PROJECTED NATIONAL GAP COMING INTO THE CYCLE), BUILDING A COALITION OF 30+ CORPORATE AND NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS, PREDOMINANTLY VETERAN AND MILITARY FAMILY SUPPORT AND ENGAGEMENT ORGANIZATIONS, AND REACHING 20M+ AMERICANS THROUGH SOCIAL, PODCAST, PRINT, AND BROADCAST MEDIA. THIS WORK CONTINUED THROUGHOUT 2023, COVERING OFF-CYCLE ELECTIONS AND PREPARING FOR THE 2024 PRESIDENTIAL THROUGH DEEPER ENGAGEMENT WITH LOCAL AND STATE ELECTION OFFICIALS ACROSS THE COUNTRY.

VET THE NEWS. VET THE NEWS IS A NEWS AGGREGATOR OF ARTICLES EXCLUSIVELY BY MILITARY VETERAN AND SPOUSE JOURNALISTS AND A PROGRAM TO INCREASE PARTICIPATION BY THIS COMMUNITY IN MEDIA AND JOURNALISM. VET THE NEWS PROVIDES A TRUSTWORTHY NEWS SOURCE THAT LEVERAGES THE CREDIBILITY OF THESE JOURNALISTS IN A LANDSCAPE OF INCREASINGLY ALGORITHMICALLY DRIVEN MEDIA BUBBLES. IN 2023, WE THE VETERANS AND MILITARY FAMILIES DEVELOPED THE CONCEPT, BROUGHT TOGETHER THOUGHT PARTNERS, AND COMMENCED DESIGN AND UI/UX OPTIMIZATION, WITH PLANS TO LAUNCH WEB AND MOBILE APPS IN 2024.

INNOVATING A PREVENTION ECOSYSTEM. THE PREVENTION ECOSYSTEM PROGRAM BUILDS ON THE STRENGTHS AND CAPABILITIES OF THE VETERAN AND MILITARY FAMILY COMMUNITY TO SUSTAINABLY INCREASE OVERALL RESISTANCE AND RESILIENCE TO HOSTILE FOREIGN INFLUENCE AND VIOLENT EXTREMIST GROUPS THAT SEEK TO SOW DIVISION, IMPLEMENT INFORMATION AND INFLUENCE OPERATIONS, AND INCITE OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO VIOLENCE. IN 2023, WE FULLY BUILT-OUT AN ECOSYSTEM OF PARTNERS FROM ACROSS GOVERNMENT, TECH, ACADEMIA, AND OTHER MISSION-ALIGNED ORGANIZATIONS TO LAUNCH, RESOURCE, AND GROW RESEARCH-BACKED INITIATIVES. OUR GOAL IS TO CONTINUE TO MOBILIZE THE COMMUNITY TOWARDS SPECIFIC PROGRAMS AND INITIATIVES WHICH WILL HAVE A MEASURABLE IMPACT ON THE COMMUNITY, BOTH IN TERMS OF REDUCING PARTICIPATION IN TARGETED VIOLENCE, BUT ALSO, CRITICALLY, IN ENSURING THE MAINTENANCE OF THE VETERAN AND MILITARY FAMILY REPUTATION AND BRAND. IN 2023 WE GREW OUR THREE QUARTERLY WORKING GROUPS: INFORMATION AND INFLUENCE OPERATIONS, TARGETED VIOLENCE PREVENTION (TVP), AND PATRIOTIC PARTICIPATION. WTVMF PARTNERED WITH PSYCHARMOR TO TURN OUR INFORMATION OPERATIONS WORKING GROUP TOPICS INTO MICROLEARNINGS, HELPING TO FURTHER EDUCATE THE VETERAN AND MILITARY FAMILY POPULATION ON HOSTILE INFLUENCE CAMPAIGNS TO CONTINUE STRENGTHENING OUR NATIONAL SECURITY.

INCREASING PATRIOTIC PARTICIPATION. INSPIRING MORE VETERANS AND MILITARY FAMILY MEMBERS TO ENGAGE WITH THE PROCESSES AND INSTITUTIONS OF OUR SELF-GOVERNMENT CATALYZES A CYCLE OF INCREASING TRUST AND ENGAGEMENT ACROSS ALL AMERICANS. WE BELIEVE THAT THE VETERAN AND MILITARY FAMILY COMMUNITY IS UNIQUELY POSITIONED TO "LEAD BY EXAMPLE", AND WE ARE BUILDING NETWORKS AND PROGRAMS TO EMPOWER THEM TO DO THAT IN NEW AND MEANINGFUL WAYS. THIS YEAR, WE THE VETERANS AND MILITARY FAMILIES LAUNCHED THE VETTED CONVERSATIONS PODCAST, AN EDUTAINMENT PROGRAM DESIGNED TO EDUCATE OUR FELLOW AMERICANS - PARTICULARLY THE VETERAN AND MILITARY FAMILY COMMUNITY - ON OUR RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES AS CITIZENS, PROMOTE POSITIVE, PATRIOTIC ENGAGEMENT (I.E. ENCOURAGING VETERANS TO SERVE THEIR COUNTRY AND COMMUNITIES AGAIN), PROVIDE TIMELY AND ACCURATE INFORMATION ABOUT SALIENT CURRENT EVENTS, COUNTER PROPAGANDA TARGETING THE MILITARY AND VETERAN COMMUNITY, AND HELP OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS LIVE THEIR BEST LIVES AS ENGAGED CITIZENS AND LEADERS. WE STARTED A PATRIOTIC PARTICIPTION WORKING GROUP TO UNITE VSO, MSOS, AND ALLIES IN EDUCATION, ACADEMIA, AND ENGAGEMENT IN THE NON-PARTISAN PURSUIT OF SUPPORTING OUR COMMUNITY TO FIND WAYS TO BE GOOD CITIZENS. VET PUBLIC SERVICE, A PROGRAM TO INCREASE VETERAN AND MILITARY FAMILY MEMBER EMPLOYMENT IN PUBLIC SERVICE, WITH A FOCUS ON STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT, WAS CONCEPTUALIZED AND THOUGHT PARTNERS IDENTIFIED, INCLUDING SERVICE TO SERVICE KEY PARTNER THE VOLCKER ALLIANCE. SERVICE TO SERVICE IS A COMPONENT OF VET PUBLIC SERVICE THAT SUPPORTS THE OVERALL MISSION BY INCREASING ENROLLMENT BY VETERANS AND MILITARY FAMILY MEMBERS IN PUBLIC SERVICE HIGHER EDUCATION PROGRAMS.